Senior Kendyl Carson will enjoy some much-deserved rest this week. Since Monday, the senior hoopster for Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaat.at Kalé has scored almost 100 points, carrying the Crimson Bears to three wins in four games.
But Carson doesn’t mind the heavy lifting.
After leading JDHS to a 50-44 win over Bartlett High School on Saturday, she said it’s all part of helping her team win.
“Whatever we have to do to win,” she said.
Carson scored 24 points in the win, one night after going 22 points. The point guard transferred back to JDHS this year after playing two seasons of high school and club basketball in Washington.
“I’ve seen the top of the competition in the country so I’m glad I get to come back to the community and share my knowledge,” Carson said.
Junior Kiana Potter added nine points for the victors, who edged Bartlett on Friday by two points after losing by the same margin on Thursday against Colony High School. All three contests were part of the Crimson Bears’ nonconference slate to begin the season. JDHS starts conference play in three weeks at home against Ketchikan.
“Every day we got better,” Carson said. “I don’t think we would’ve won this game tonight if we didn’t play the game yesterday, because we learned a lot. So hopefully we just keep getting better and better.”
Amelia Uhila had 16 points and Nyakoat Ruot had nine points for Bartlett, who last season finished as the runner-ups at last year’s state tournament.
JDHS coach Steve Potter said that’s where his team wants to end up after missing out on the Big Dance over the last two seasons. The Region V Tournament champions receive an automatic bid to the March event.
Ketchikan has won the last six Class 4A Region V titles.
“We have to get better if we want to be playing at the end of the year,” Potter said.
On Saturday, Carson spurred an 8-0 run early in the fourth quarter. After the Crimson Bears’ lead dwindled to just two points, Carson assisted on Jenae Pusich’s layup before scoring a layup of her own. Rebekah Grube’s basket capped the run, which put JDHS up 42-32 with about five minutes to go.
But the Golden Bears kept playing hard, and Lavinia Lavelua brought the visitors within 45-40 with one minute remaining.
“There was a time where we just didn’t rebound and then they started catching up,” Carson said. “(It was) back and forth, but we never gave up.”
After a Potter free throw, Uhila dribbled the ball the length of the court and flipped the ball in, cutting the deficit to 46-42 with 28 seconds to go.
But Sadie Tuckwood beat everyone down the floor on the next possession for a layup to push the lead back up to six, all but securing the win.
Game recap
JDHS — 12 9 11 18 — 50
Bartlett — 12 7 8 17 — 44
JDHS — Carson 24, Potter 9, Tuckwood 6, Jackson 4, Nichols 3, Pusich 2, Grube 2.
Bartlett — Uhila 16, Ruot 11, Herrmann 6, Lavelua 4, Mathot 3, Facine 2, Matautia 2.
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nainsworth@juneauempire.com.
